Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of South San Francisco, California, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of therapeutics in the areas of autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and pain, announced that it has acquired the US rights to market and sell two topical formulations of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac. While formulations of diclofenac are currently marketed in Japan and Europe, no topical NSAID is available in the US.

Cerimon also reported that it has raised $70 million in Series A financing, which will be used in part to fund clinical trials of diclofenac for mild-to-moderate chronic pain due to osteoarthritis. A head-to-head clinical study comparing topical diclofenac with oral diclofenac, conducted in Japan, indicated that topical diclofenac has a lower adverse-event rate and retained efficacy.

MPM Capital LP, the nation's largest life-science venture-capital firm, provided the initial seed monies for Cerimon, and contributed more than 50% of the Series A financing, with the balance provided by Nomura Phase4 Ventures and OrbiMed Advisors.

Cerimon seeks to acquire, develop, and commercialize products through innovative partnerships within the pharmaceutical industry. It aims to expand drug markets by developing and marketing licensed drugs not currently available in North America but successfully marketed elsewhere, expand indications by developing currently marketed drugs into specialty or niche indications worldwide, and expand the product pipeline with select late-stage investigational drugs that have been shelved by larger pharmaceutical companies for strategic reasons.

—A. Techman